Don't Pretend

-Your POV-

Jisung avoided you at school in class, in the lunchroom, and even in the library. Everywhere you went, he seemed to be missing from your side.

At lunch, you, Renjun, Chenle, and the others worried about his health because he wasn't eating his lunch. Instead, he remained absent from the lunchroom.

"He doesn't really talk when I'm with him," Renjun said as you glanced worriedly in Jisung's direction.

"And he barely studies in class," Chenle added, "It's troublesome."

"Indeed," the others echoed. You wanted to cry. All of this just because you said something to him? Why?

On your way to class, you bumped into Hyunjin.

"Oh, hi! I haven't seen you for a while," he said, smiling, "I wanted to stop by the hospital earlier to give you something but ran into some problems, so here." From his bookbag, he pulled out a stuffed teddy bear. Around you, you could hear other students whispering and glancing in your direction.

You hesitantly took the bear from him, "Thank you, Hyunjin. That's very nice of you."

From the corner of your eye, you thought you saw a fleeting glimpse of Park Jisung. You turned and watched his back as he walked past without a single glance in your direction. It hurt.

And Hyunjin noticed.

"Can you help me with math, today?" Hearing his soft voice broke through your thoughts and you looked back at him, suddenly feeling grateful that he was there.

"Okay, sure."

"I'll see you in the library!" He waved to you before heading to his class.

After school, you went to the library and set your stuff down at one of the tables, like you always did. The chair next to you- no, Jisung's chair- remained empty, per usual. But now it was taken by Hyunjin. You looked up and gave him a smile, "hi."

He settled down and took out his math worksheets for you to look over, and you were surprised at how clueless he was over unit circles.

"Do you really not know how to use one?" you laughed.

Hyunjin turned red, "o-oh well, I never really got to learn the concept in class. The teacher kind of skimmed over it."

You reached out and pinched his cheek, "Wow, a clueless Hyunjin has appeared."

"Okay, whatever."

You slowly went over the concept of using unit circles to solve different problems on the worksheet and couldn't help but notice how intently he watched your every step, soaking in the information.

"Y/N. You're cute. Do you know that?" His question startled you and you looked up from the current problem that you were working on.

"What?"

"You're cute." He repeated the words.

Something bubbled up, old memories of him at your other school. The number of times you had dared yourself to tell him those same words, only to fail in his presence. And now he was saying those same words to you.

"Why are you in my chair?" The moment shattered. Both of you looked up, surprised to find Jisung standing above you, having appeared almost out of thin air.

Hyunjin took one look in your direction to notice how tense you were and glanced back at the other boy, "because Y/N was helping me with math. And you weren't sitting next to her. You usually aren't, anymore." His comment surprised you. How quickly his persona changed.

"Where I sit is none of your business."

"Well, it's my business if you're the one who's causing her to feel hurt. You shouldn't play with other's feelings." Jisung flinched, then his expression changed to hatred.

"You wouldn't know anything about our relationship, Hwang Hyunjin. You're the problem. You've been the problem for Y/N ever since you arrived at this school."

"No, it's you that is the problem." Jisung's ripped his glare away from Hyunjin, startled by your firm voice. You felt yourself rise up from your chair, trembling and tried to calm yourself, but you couldn't help it. You already felt hurt by him.

You took a deep breath and let the words out.

"Don't pretend that you never said you liked me."